The corner of Gay and High streets downtown keeps getting better and better! Building on the presence of Brioso Coffee, Veritas and The Citizens Trust, and Speck Italian Eatery, the intersection welcomed Hank’s Low Country Seafood earlier this year, and now Chouette French restaurant.
Chouette is brought to us by the same folks behind Hank’s and The Junto Hotel. It takes over the northeast corner of Gay and High, in the space that was once Brioso’s original home (you can see what it looked like long ago). It’s been completely opened up, exposing the original plaster ceilings, adding a small mezzanine, and lightening the space with many more windows.
The gorgeous new bar features stained glass as a small accent piece. (And note the Kronenbourg 1664 on tap!)
The mezzanine really transforms the space by drawing the eye up and offering an elevated view of the main dining room.
It also hosts a small collection of tables. It’s cozy and intimate up there!
They also added a long, covered patio along Gay Street and wrapping partly around the corner to High Street.
During our dinner, we got a generous sampling of appetizers, main courses, desserts, and drinks.
To celebrate the restaurant’s opening, we were treated to a taste of champagne from Bollinger.
We started with a taste of the gougères, very light cheese puffs filled with gruyère. They’re a delightful beginning, and you could easily snack on them throughout the entire meal.
Like the gougères, the applewood smoked bacon tarte flambée is rich without being heavy. The thin crust is also topped with onion and crème fraîche.
The dirty French caesar salad combines little gem lettuces with green olives and an herbed vinaigrette.
I don’t often go for steak tartare, but I’d order it more often if it was like Chouette’s version. Theirs features tender angus beef mixed with cured egg yolk, crispy shallots, and chives, served with house-made potato crisps.
I guess it wouldn’t be a French restaurant without escargots, right?
I can’t recall the last time I had escargots. They’re tender and nicely seasoned with parsley, lemon, and garlic butter.
Chouette of course features a full cocktail menu and robust wine list, plus beer and ciders. Kudos to them for featuring cocktails sans alcohol, too. This is the Moulin Rouge with Ritual Zero Proof aperitif, myrtle, raspberry, tonic, and soda.
The entrees at Chouette make a beautiful spread, from bouillabaisse to moules frites, linguine with butter-poached lobster to cauliflower steak.
The bouillabaisse Marseillaise can be ordered for one or two people. It’s loaded with lobster, bass, shrimp, and mussels in a saffron rouille. Be sure to order extra bread to soak it all up!
Who’d have thought that chicken would be a highlight, but the roasted heritage chicken was a real standout. It was wonderfully seasoned and tender, served with summer vegetables in a lardons ragout.
So too with the crispy striped bass grenobloise. It was complex without being overly complicated. Perfectly cooked and served over cauliflower with capers, sorrento lemon, and croutons.
Chef Jacques Sorci said he wanted to feature authentically French recipes that are thoughtful but straightforward, and I think that’s borne out in dishes like the bass and the chicken.
Quick pit stop for a cocktail!
And then dessert!
The peach melba was one of our table’s favorites (which is saying something, given the overall quality). It’s meant for sharing. It combines vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce, toasted almonds, and whipped cream.
The chocolate mousse uses Julia Child’s recipe, as a nod to her love of French cooking. It’s rich with mocha, hazelnut, and whipped cream.
The crepes suzette (pictured in the back) is another winner. Perfectly folded crepes doused with orange sauce and Grand Marnier.
The apple tarte tatin is beautifully composed, served with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel.
It’s a treat to pour the warm caramel sauce over the tarte.
If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of the culinary team at work.
Chouette is a welcome addition downtown! I love seeing the space transformed and this new investment in downtown Columbus.
Chouette is currently open for dinner, Sunday-Thursday from 4-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 4-11 p.m. Lunch and brunch hours are coming soon!
Chouette
66 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 705-2665
Web: chouetterestaurant.com
FB: Chouette
IG: @chouetterestaurant
